Concrete-brick machine



jam 23, W23

3 SHEETS'SHEET I FILED OCT.

Jan. 23, 1%23. 3,443,299

. C S. WERT. CONCRETE BRlCK MACHINE.

FILED OCT. 3, 1921. 3 SHEETS'SHEET 2 Patented Jan. 23. 1923.

CYRUS S. WERT, F KENDALLVILLE, INDIANA.

CONCRETEBRICK MACHINE.

Application filed October'3, 1921. Serial No. 505,161.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, CYRUs S. WERT, re- "siding at Kendallville, in thecounty of Noble and State of Indiana, a citizen of. the United States,have invented certain new and useful of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part hereof.

My invention relates to .a machine for molding concrete blocks andhasfor its object to provide a machine for this purpose which will beadapted formolding a series ofconcrete blocks at the same time and whichwill be simple in construction and rapid and efiicient in operation andwill be particularly adapted for molding concrete blocks of the size andshape of ordinary building bricks eitherwith or without facing, on oneor two faces, of finer and more resilient material than that of whichthe main portion of the block is composed. A

further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which aseries of concrete blocks may be molded on a tray adapted to be liftedoutand to serve as a support. for the blocks during the curing process.'

With. the above indicated objects, and other objects hereinafterdescribed, in view, my invention.consists in the construction andcombination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of complete machine embodying myinvention, the parts being shown in position to receive the tra ,onwhich the blocks are to be molded.

l igure 2 is a detail sectional view showing the mechanism for movingthe spacing 40 plates backwardand forward,

I Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing the mechanism for holdingthe tamper in raised position. I

- Figure 4 is a front view of the mold with the tray inposition but withthe front plate turned down.

F i re 5 is a side view of the mold with the iopper in place ready toreceive the concrete mixture. I

Improvements in Concrete-Brick Machines, I

Figure 6 is a top view of the mold opened for removal of the finishedblocks.

Figure 7 is a side view of the mold with the spacing plate for use inproducing faced blocks in position.

Figure 8 is a detail view showing the cam clamp for the front plate intwo positions.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the mold closed in position to receivethe concrete mixture.

Figure 10 is a the cutter or cov tion.

- Figure 11 shows the dividing plate for use in producing faced blocks,in front and edge view, and

Figure 12 shows the scraper in front and edge view. I 2

In the drawings, 1, 1, indicate side bars at' the top of the frame ofthe machine, supported by front legs 2, 2 and rear legs 3, 3, the framehaving lower side bars 4, 4, each secured to a front leg 2 and a rearleg 3 near their lower ends. Vertical bars 5, 5, each extend from alower side bar 4to an upper side bar 1 at points somewhat tothe rear ofhalf-way betwden the front and rear legs. 6, -6 are diagonal brace rodsfor the front legs 2, 2.

On the upper edgesof the side bars 1, 1, are secured side.plates' 7, 7by means of vertical posts or bars 8,, 9 and 10. To these side platesnear their upper edges are secured horizontal bars 11, 11, which extendrearward back of the posts 10, the rear ends of these horizontal barsbeing connected to the rear legs 3, 3, by inclined brace bars To thefront ends of the side bars 1, 1, is hinged a plate 13 which forms thefront plate of the mold. Across the forward portion of the top of themachine and resting on the top bars 1, 1 are supporting bars 14, whichare adapted to support the removable tray 15 which forms the bottom ofthe mold and is provided with a support 16 at each end adaptedf'toextend downward outside the side bars during -themolding perspectiveview showing er plate in forward posioperation and to support the traycarrying the molded blocks whilethey are curing,

ing bars 14,

the supports 16 being of such length that one tray may be stacked onanother without danger of injury to the molded blocks.

Opposite the hinged front plate 13 is the rear plate 17 extending acrossthe machine and having a series of slots 18 formed therein extendingfrom its upper edge down to the level of the upper face of the tray 13when it is in position on the supporting bars 1 1.

In rear of the supporting bars 1 1 and mounted to slide forward andrearward between the side plates 7, 7, through the slots 18 of the rearplate 17, is a series of vertical partition plates 20, connectedtogether mid" wa between their ends by cross plate 21, thisl cross plateforming, when in forward position, a support for the rear plate 17 ofthe mold. The lower edges of these spacing plates are adapted, when inforward position, to rest on the upper face of the tray 15 when it is inposition on the supportwith their forward ends against the front plate13 which is held in elevated or closed position'by clamps 22 carried byarms 23 pivoted to posts 8. There is thus found a rectangular mold openat the top and separated into a series of rectangular molds by thepartition plates 20, the front' of the mold being formed by front plate13, the bottom by the tray 15 and the rear being formed by the backplate 17 The ends of the mold are formed by the end plates of the seriesof partition plates which rest against guide bars 24 on the inner sidesof the side plates 7.

A hopper or funnel 25 provided at its ends with lifting handles 26 isadapted to fit in the open top of the mold formed as above described,the sides of the hopper being preferably strengthened by angle irons 27extending from end to end near the'upper edges of its sides. This hopperserves as a guide to receive the concrete mixture and direct it into themold and is intended. to be removed by means of the handles 26 when themold has been filled and tamped.

On thepartition plates 20 is arranged a trimming or cutter plate 28 of awidth corresponding to the width of the mold and extending from end toend of the mold and having its ends 29 turned down to fit over the endpartition plates and to slide freely on the partition plates. Until themold is filled and tamped and the hopper removed,

this trimming or cutter plate rests on the rear portions of thepartition plates. After the mold is filled and tamped and the hop-' perremoved, this trimming or butter plate is slid forward over the block orseries of blocks in the mold to trim off any excess of concrete and toprotect their top surfaces ward position, a tray 15 is placed on thesupporting bars 14 with its supports 16 extending downward outside theside bars 1, 1', and the hinged front plate is swung up and secured invertical position by the clamps 22. The partition plates 20 are then,pushed forward through tlia slots 18 of the rear plate 17 until theirfront ends rest against the front plate 18, the cross plate 21 servlngto support the portions of the rear plate between the slots 18, againstrearward movement. The mold is then ready to receive the hopper 25 and,when this is placed in position, concrete mixture is poured into thehopper until the mold is filled, the hopper preventing overflow of anyonesection from passing over the sides or ends of the mold andfacilitating the distribution of the concretemixture to all of thesections. When the mold has been thus filled the concrete is tampedpreferably by a tamper 30 formed in sections 31 corresponding to thesections into which the mold is divided by the partition plates.20.After the tamp'ing the hopper is lifted ofi and the trimming or cutterplate 28 is drawn forward to trim off any excess of concrete and leavethe tops of the sections even with the upper edges of the partitionplates 20. The

When it is desired to produce blocks having their front facesprovidedwith a fac ing, a dividing plate 33 having slots 3-1 adapted tofit over the partition plates 20 is inserted in the mold, before anyconcrete is introduced, near the front plate-13 from which it issuitably spaced by strips 35 secured to the dividing spacing plateoutside the end partition plates 20; An angle iron 36 secured to thetransverse spacing plate serves to stiffen the plate, to space it awayfrom the front plate and to prevent the entrance of concrete into thespace between it and the front plate. Blocks 37 carried by the arms 23are adapted to engage the rear face of the dividing plate and hold itfrom rearward movement.

When this dividing plate is in position the'spaces back of it are filledwith concrete mixture of relatively coarse character and the dividingplate is then drawn out, leave taste as before described. If it isdesired to pro;

duce blocks having facing on two faces,,the upper surface of the mainportion andfront facing, is removed to a depth, preferably, of

I about one-fourthinch, by a scraper 40 having its edge serrated asshown at 41 and having deep notches 42 at intervals corresponding. tothe intervals between the partition plates-20..

The hopper is then replaced and a concrete mixture suitable for facingis poured in and t/he'tam er again brought down to solidify the facingand to force it into intimateiinion with the block already formed.

While the broad invention as above de; scribed is independent ofspecific mechanism for moving the several parts of the machine I preferto make use of the mechanism here inafter described.

The partition plates 20, connected togethe by the cross plate 21, arearranged to be moved forward and rearwafd by levers 50 secured aboutmidway" of the length 'on shaft 51 journalledin bearings 52 secured tothe vertical bars 5. The upper ends of these levers 50 are connected inany convenient manner with the partition plates. For this purpose thecross plate 21 may be provided on its lower edge with arm 53 carryingpins 54 adapted to extend into an open ended slot 55 in the upper endsof levers 50.

To the lower ends, of the levers 50 are pivoted links 56, the other endsof which are pivoted to arms '57 secured on a shaft 58 journalled inbearings 59 on the lower side bars 44 near the front legs 2, 2. On thisshaft 58 is secured, at one side of the frame of the machine, anoperating lever 60 having handle 61. A stop 62 secured to a front leg 2in the path of movement of the operating lever serves to limit itsforward swing. \Vhen this operating lever is pushed rearward the upperends of levers 50 will swing forward moving the partition plates intotheir forward position as above described and by swinging the operatinglever forward until it comes against stop 62, the partition 'plates aredrawn backward through the slots in the back plate.

' The clamps 22 for the hinged front plate 13 are pivoted on the ends ofrods 23 and each comprises a handle 63 and a cam 6 1 so arranged that onswinging the handle on its pivot the cam will act against the frontface, of the hinged front plate to force it strongly rearward.

The tamper 30, consists of a series of sections 31 preferably formedintegral with a bar'70 carried by arms 71 preferably bent as shownpivoted at their rear ends to the upper ends of the inclined braces 12.Cross brace rods 72 are used to prevent side movement of the arms 71.The arms 71 extend forward beyond the .bar and are connected by a rod 73which serves as a handle to be grasped to bring the tamper down onto thematerial in the mold.

Tothe arms 71 at points about one-third of the distance from the pivotsof these arms to the bar 70 are pivotally connected lifting rods 74. Thelower ends of these lifting rods are pivotally connected to arms 7 5 ona shaft 76 journalled in the rear legs 3, 3, near the lower side bars i,4. These arms are connected together by rod 77 and at a point aboutmidway of its ength, a tension spring 7 8 is connected to this rod, the.upper end of the spring being connected to a cross bar 79 here shown assecured at its ends tothe bars 71. This spring acts to draw the rod 77and arms 75 upward and, through the lifting" rods 74, to keep the tampernormally inel'evated position but permits it to be pulled down whenrequired to effect the tamping operation.

VVhlle the machine as shown is constructed to produce rectangular blocksof uniform size and shape. it is obvious that it may be.

readily adapted to form' a series of blocks differing in size anddiffering from rectangular shape. It is also obvious that the inner faceof the front face and the faces of the tamper sections may be providedwith a pattern die by which a surface other than plain may be given tothe front or upper face of the block or both.

It should further be understood that I do notdesire to be limited to theparticular constriiction or arrangement shown or described as it isobvious that many changes in construction and arrangement may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is:

In a machine vfor molding concrete blocks, the combination of asupporting frame, a backplate carried by the supporting frame having aseries of vertical slots formed therein, a removable tray resting on thesupporting frame and adapted to form the bottom of the mold having itsrear edge in contact with the back plate, a front plate hinged to thesupporting frame and adapted to be held in contact with andiextending uward from the front edge of the removab e tray, vertically arrangedpartition plates adapted to slide through the slots in the front plate,arms pivoted to the supporting 10 back plate over the removable trayinto conframe and provided with clamping means tact with the front plateto form the end of adapted to engage the front plate and hold it themold and to divide the mold into sec in upright position, and meanscarried by I 5 tions, a removable dividing plate adapted to said armsfor holding the dividing plate extend from end to end of the moldparallel against rearward movement. 15 wlth the front plate having slotsformed In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my therein to fit over thepartition plates and signature.

having means for spacing it away from the; CYRUS S. WEB-T.

